The present invention relates to a camera which automatically focuses a lens on an object, and which automatically determines an exposure level of an image of the object being photographed.
Presently, there are cameras, hereinafter referred to as AF cameras, which can measure a distance from the camera to the object to be photographed. In some of the AF cameras, if the distance to the object can be determined, the camera will move the lens to a predetermined position. However, if the object is too close to the camera, an out of focus image will be formed; i.e., even when the camera moves the lens to the closest focusing position, the object is out of the depth of field of the lens.
Further, in the conventional AF camera, if the distance of the object cannot be measured, the AF camera may not be able to drive the lens to a position to form an in-focus image.
Furthermore, in the conventional AF camera, if the distance can be measured, the measurement may not be reliable because, for example, the contrast of the object is low. Since the camera will position the lens to focus on the object using the measured distance, if the distance measurement used does not correspond to the actual distance of the object to be photographed, then the object may be situated out of the in-focus range of the lens, and an out of focus image will be formed.